Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to deepen cooperation in the fight against international drug trafficking through a new agreement between their anti-narcotics agencies.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
The agreement between the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the UAE’s National Drug Enforcement Authority will facilitate greater intelligence-sharing, joint operations and technical cooperation between both countries.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the partnership would help authorities target trafficking networks taking advantage of the strong movement of people and goods between Nigeria and the UAE.
According to Marwa, Nigerian authorities intercepted about 354.7kg of illegal drugs in consignments heading to the UAE between 2021 and 2026. The seizures included cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, rohypnol, ecstasy and khat and led to the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects.
He said the new agreement would expand existing cooperation, including the exchange of liaison officers and operational intelligence.
The UAE will also provide Nigerian travellers with information on items prohibited under its drug laws, with the aim of helping passengers avoid unintentionally breaching the country’s regulations.
Marwa also gave an overview of the NDLEA’s activities across Nigeria between January 2021 and July 2026. He said the agency arrested more than 91,000 suspects, including 243 alleged drug barons, and recovered over 15.5 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals.
He added that the agency secured 16,469 convictions and provided counselling, treatment and rehabilitation services to more than 53,000 people who use drugs.
The NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse campaign, he said, has also reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through school and community-based programmes.
The Chairman of the UAE’s National Drug Enforcement Authority, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed his agency’s commitment to working with Nigeria to disrupt trafficking networks.
Both countries said the agreement would strengthen their ability to share intelligence, coordinate enforcement activities and tackle drug trafficking along the Nigeria-UAE route.
